People mostly travel for fun, but have you ever thought about traveling on your own? According to most soloist travelers, traveling alone brings a lot of fun and boosts confidence.
One advantage is you can write your own itinerary and the other one is to not think too much of time compared with traveling with a companion.
If you have been traveling for a long time now and have not tried traveling alone yet, perhaps this is something you may want to consider in the future.
We know some of you might still feel scared at the thought of it, but it is actually not as scary as you think it would be, especially after you’ve done it.
Traveling on your own is still fun, although the fun it brings might somehow be different compared with traveling with a companion. If you want to be a solo adventurer next time, the first thing you need to do is to be prepared for it.
By saying prepared, this means there are some tips to follow. In this article, you would learn some of the tips shared by other solo adventurers that will help make the entire trip fun and memorable for you.
Bring everything you need
First things first – you need to make sure nothing is left behind before the date of departure. This means preparing everything you need to bring with you days ahead, and not cram, lest you travel in lack.
Some of the important things you need to bring with you are your documents, such as your passport, ID, and tickets, cash and credit card, cellphone and other gadgets you will be needing for documentation purposes, medicines, and toiletries.
It is better to be prepared than never. Always remember that you are traveling alone, therefore there is no one to easily ask help from incase something urgent comes up during the trip.
The good thing about this, though, is that it the experience itself will teach you to be responsible and independent. Traveling alone is not a joke, but because of the pressure and different emotions that will come out, you would have no other choice but take on the challenge. You could say it is a life changing event, you know!
Study the place and learn the culture
Part of the preparation process is to study the place where you are heading to. Study your hotel whereabouts, the delicious restaurants near your area, the food to try, and of course the culture!
It also pays a lot if you also know the weather of the place during the time of visit. This way, you can know what clothes to bring. If you are going there during winter time, then perhaps you could bring jackets, boots, and gloves. Likewise, you bring comfortable clothes if you are coming during summer time.
When it comes to the culture of the place, it is important to know it fully and adapt to it once you get there. Each place has a different culture, so expect that not everything would be as pleasant as what you were used to back home. However, learning a different culture is actually so much fun.
Especially if you are someone who has been traveling for a long time already, you know that the culture of a specific place adds up to the enjoyment of the entire trip. It wouldn’t be as exciting as you thought it would be if not for its unique and interesting culture, right?
For example, a lot of people go to Japan simply because they love to immerse in its culture. Tourists go there to eat Japanese cuisines, visit historical places that depict Japanese culture, and even wear Kimono to complete the enjoyment of their trip.
So, to make it more pleasant for you while traveling alone, try to learn the culture of the place first and once you are already there, immerse yourself in it – as if you are a part of it – and be really merry.
Be friendly
You are traveling on your own, so it would be a bit lonely at times. However, that shouldn’t always be the case if you just step out from own shyness and be amiable to anyone you meet down the road.
Basing from other’s experiences, meeting new people during the trip will add up to the fun and enjoyment traveling alone brings. Imagine learning a different language, copying their mannerism, going to beautiful places not yet heard or advertised, and eating exotic foods with them – it would be so much fun!
By being friendly, it wouldn’t seem like you are traveling on your own because of the new friends you will meet during your trip.
If you are not convinced yet, that is fine! However, try to read some blogs from solo adventurers and dig deeper into their travel experiences to know better. To conclude, traveling alone is not bad at all. In fact, it will give you lots of lessons learned in the end.